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A History of English Literature
A History of English Literature

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of A History of English Literature is here in full — 384 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Robert Huntington Fletcher • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for A History of English Literature
Context Illustration Reading 1/76 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
PERIOD IV.
THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY.
THE RENAISSANCE AND THE REIGN OF ELIZABETH [Footnote: George Eliot's 'Romola' gives one of the best pictures of the spirit of the Renaissance in Italy.
Tennyson's 'Queen Mary,' though it is weak as a drama, presents clearly some of the conditions of the Reformation period in England.]
THE RENAISSANCE.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A History of English Literature

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of A History of English Literature is here in full — 384 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/76 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
PERIOD IV.
Line 2
THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY.
/ðə sɪkˈstiːnθ ˈsentʃəri/
Line 3
THE RENAISSANCE AND THE REIGN OF ELIZABETH [Footnote: George Eliot's 'Romola' gives one of the best pictures of the spirit of the Renaissance in Italy.
Line 4
Tennyson's 'Queen Mary,' though it is weak as a drama, presents clearly some of the conditions of the Reformation period in England.]
Line 5
THE RENAISSANCE.
/ðə ˌrenəˈsɑːns/

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

drama noun US /ˈdrɑːmə/

a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage

From this reading “Tennyson's 'Queen Mary,' though it is weak as a drama, presents clearly some of the conditions of the Reformation period in England.]”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Eliot's noun US /ˈeliəts/

possessive form of “eliot” — British poet (born in the United States) who won the Nobel prize for literature; his plays are outstanding examples of modern verse drama (1888-1965)

From this reading “THE RENAISSANCE AND THE REIGN OF ELIZABETH [Footnote: George Eliot's 'Romola' gives one of the best pictures of the spirit of the Renaissance in Italy.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Footnote noun US /ˈfʊtnoʊt/

a printed note placed below the text on a printed page

From this reading “THE RENAISSANCE AND THE REIGN OF ELIZABETH [Footnote: George Eliot's 'Romola' gives one of the best pictures of the spirit of the Renaissance in Italy.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
presents noun US /ˈprezənts/

plural of “present” — the period of time that is happening now; any continuous stretch of time including the moment of speech

From this reading “Tennyson's 'Queen Mary,' though it is weak as a drama, presents clearly some of the conditions of the Reformation period in England.]”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Reformation noun US /ˌref.əˈmeɪ.ʃən/

The action or process of reforming an institution, practice, or individual's character.

From this reading “Tennyson's 'Queen Mary,' though it is weak as a drama, presents clearly some of the conditions of the Reformation period in England.]”

Velmora curated lexicon
reign verb US /reɪn/

have sovereign power

From this reading “THE RENAISSANCE AND THE REIGN OF ELIZABETH [Footnote: George Eliot's 'Romola' gives one of the best pictures of the spirit of the Renaissance in Italy.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
renaissance noun US /ˌrenəˈsɑːns/

the period of European history at the close of the Middle Ages and the rise of the modern world; a cultural rebirth from the 14th through the middle of the 17th centuries

From this reading “THE RENAISSANCE AND THE REIGN OF ELIZABETH [Footnote: George Eliot's 'Romola' gives one of the best pictures of the spirit of the Renaissance in Italy.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sixteenth adjective US /sɪkˈstiːnθ/

coming next after the fifteenth in position

From this reading “THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 37

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Tennyson's 'Queen Mary,' though it is weak as a drama, presents clearly some of the conditions of the Reformation period in England.]

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading THE RENAISSANCE AND THE REIGN OF ELIZABETH [Footnote: George Eliot's 'Romola' gives one of the best pictures of the spirit of the Renaissance in Italy.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Tennyson's 'Queen Mary,' though it is weak as a drama, presents clearly some of the conditions of the Reformation period in England.]

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading THE RENAISSANCE AND THE REIGN OF ELIZABETH [Footnote: George Eliot's 'Romola' gives one of the best pictures of the spirit of the Renaissance in Italy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CENTURYnounUS /ˈsentʃəri/

a period of 100 years

From this reading THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
clearlyadverbUS /ˈklɪrli/

without doubt or question

From this reading Tennyson's 'Queen Mary,' though it is weak as a drama, presents clearly some of the conditions of the Reformation period in England.]

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
conditionsnounUS /kənˈdɪʃənz/

the prevailing context that influences the performance or the outcome of a process

From this reading Tennyson's 'Queen Mary,' though it is weak as a drama, presents clearly some of the conditions of the Reformation period in England.]

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dramanounUS /ˈdrɑːmə/

a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage

From this reading Tennyson's 'Queen Mary,' though it is weak as a drama, presents clearly some of the conditions of the Reformation period in England.]

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Eliot'snounUS /ˈeliəts/

possessive form of “eliot” — British poet (born in the United States) who won the Nobel prize for literature; his plays are outstanding examples of modern verse drama (1888-1965)

From this reading THE RENAISSANCE AND THE REIGN OF ELIZABETH [Footnote: George Eliot's 'Romola' gives one of the best pictures of the spirit of the Renaissance in Italy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ELIZABETHnounUS /ɪˈlɪzəbəθ/

daughter of George VI who became the Queen of England and Northern Ireland in 1952 on the death of her father (1926-)

From this reading THE RENAISSANCE AND THE REIGN OF ELIZABETH [Footnote: George Eliot's 'Romola' gives one of the best pictures of the spirit of the Renaissance in Italy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EnglandnounUS /ˈɪŋɡlənd/

a division of the United Kingdom

From this reading Tennyson's 'Queen Mary,' though it is weak as a drama, presents clearly some of the conditions of the Reformation period in England.]

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FootnotenounUS /ˈfʊtnoʊt/

a printed note placed below the text on a printed page

From this reading THE RENAISSANCE AND THE REIGN OF ELIZABETH [Footnote: George Eliot's 'Romola' gives one of the best pictures of the spirit of the Renaissance in Italy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
GeorgenounUS /dʒɔːrdʒ/

Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)

From this reading THE RENAISSANCE AND THE REIGN OF ELIZABETH [Footnote: George Eliot's 'Romola' gives one of the best pictures of the spirit of the Renaissance in Italy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
givesnounUS /ɡɪvz/

plural of “give” — the elasticity of something that can be stretched and returns to its original length

From this reading THE RENAISSANCE AND THE REIGN OF ELIZABETH [Footnote: George Eliot's 'Romola' gives one of the best pictures of the spirit of the Renaissance in Italy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading THE RENAISSANCE AND THE REIGN OF ELIZABETH [Footnote: George Eliot's 'Romola' gives one of the best pictures of the spirit of the Renaissance in Italy.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Tennyson's 'Queen Mary,' though it is weak as a drama, presents clearly some of the conditions of the Reformation period in England.]

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Tennyson's 'Queen Mary,' though it is weak as a drama, presents clearly some of the conditions of the Reformation period in England.]

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ItalynounUS /ˈɪtəli/

a republic in southern Europe on the Italian Peninsula; was the core of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire between the 4th century BC and the 5th century AD

From this reading THE RENAISSANCE AND THE REIGN OF ELIZABETH [Footnote: George Eliot's 'Romola' gives one of the best pictures of the spirit of the Renaissance in Italy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IVnoun

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading PERIOD IV.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MarynounUS /ˈmeri/

the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics

From this reading Tennyson's 'Queen Mary,' though it is weak as a drama, presents clearly some of the conditions of the Reformation period in England.]

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE RENAISSANCE AND THE REIGN OF ELIZABETH [Footnote: George Eliot's 'Romola' gives one of the best pictures of the spirit of the Renaissance in Italy.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading THE RENAISSANCE AND THE REIGN OF ELIZABETH [Footnote: George Eliot's 'Romola' gives one of the best pictures of the spirit of the Renaissance in Italy.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
PERIODnounUS /ˈpɪriəd/

an amount of time

From this reading PERIOD IV.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
picturesnounUS /ˈpɪktʃərz/

plural of “picture” — a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface

From this reading THE RENAISSANCE AND THE REIGN OF ELIZABETH [Footnote: George Eliot's 'Romola' gives one of the best pictures of the spirit of the Renaissance in Italy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
presentsnounUS /ˈprezənts/

plural of “present” — the period of time that is happening now; any continuous stretch of time including the moment of speech

From this reading Tennyson's 'Queen Mary,' though it is weak as a drama, presents clearly some of the conditions of the Reformation period in England.]

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
QueennounUS /kwiːn/

the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs

From this reading Tennyson's 'Queen Mary,' though it is weak as a drama, presents clearly some of the conditions of the Reformation period in England.]

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ReformationnounUS /ˌref.əˈmeɪ.ʃən/

The action or process of reforming an institution, practice, or individual's character.

From this reading Tennyson's 'Queen Mary,' though it is weak as a drama, presents clearly some of the conditions of the Reformation period in England.]

Velmora curated lexicon
REIGNverbUS /reɪn/

have sovereign power

From this reading THE RENAISSANCE AND THE REIGN OF ELIZABETH [Footnote: George Eliot's 'Romola' gives one of the best pictures of the spirit of the Renaissance in Italy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
RENAISSANCEnounUS /ˌrenəˈsɑːns/

the period of European history at the close of the Middle Ages and the rise of the modern world; a cultural rebirth from the 14th through the middle of the 17th centuries

From this reading THE RENAISSANCE AND THE REIGN OF ELIZABETH [Footnote: George Eliot's 'Romola' gives one of the best pictures of the spirit of the Renaissance in Italy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Romola

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading THE RENAISSANCE AND THE REIGN OF ELIZABETH [Footnote: George Eliot's 'Romola' gives one of the best pictures of the spirit of the Renaissance in Italy.

Pending verification
SIXTEENTHadjectiveUS /sɪkˈstiːnθ/

coming next after the fifteenth in position

From this reading THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Tennyson's 'Queen Mary,' though it is weak as a drama, presents clearly some of the conditions of the Reformation period in England.]

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
spiritnounUS /ˈspɪrət/

the vital principle or animating force within living things

From this reading THE RENAISSANCE AND THE REIGN OF ELIZABETH [Footnote: George Eliot's 'Romola' gives one of the best pictures of the spirit of the Renaissance in Italy.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Tennyson's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Tennyson's 'Queen Mary,' though it is weak as a drama, presents clearly some of the conditions of the Reformation period in England.]

Pending verification
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Tennyson's 'Queen Mary,' though it is weak as a drama, presents clearly some of the conditions of the Reformation period in England.]

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
weakadjectiveUS /wiːk/

wanting in physical strength

From this reading Tennyson's 'Queen Mary,' though it is weak as a drama, presents clearly some of the conditions of the Reformation period in England.]

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 5 of A History of English Literature by Robert Huntington Fletcher holds 384 sentences, grouped into 77 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 5 of A History of English Literature contain?

Chapter 5 holds 384 sentences of A History of English Literature, unabridged, divided into 77 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of A History of English Literature by Robert Huntington Fletcher exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 384 sentences, grouped into 77 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 5 of A History of English Literature?

Work through the 77 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 77 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 5 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading A History of English Literature

Common questions about reading A History of English Literature by Robert Huntington Fletcher on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A History of English Literature?

Yes. All 5100 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #7201 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A History of English Literature is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #7201, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A History of English Literature take to read?

About 425 minutes of reading across 1020 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in A History of English Literature

Words and structures a reader meets early in A History of English Literature, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Period
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A History of English Literature; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Britons
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A History of English Literature; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Anglo-saxons
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A History of English Literature; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Foreword
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A History of English Literature; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.